Autumn's Hell
by Autumnbullied
Summary: After being betrayed and humiliated by the entire school back in December, how much can Autumn take anymore? Will Julian or Wes save her, or will Autumn go down the darkest of paths?
1. Back to school

_This is a continuation to "Autumn`s end" (check my profile for that story), so you might want to read that first. It contains bullying, character bashing and more.  
_

...

After Winter Break, in a chilly February weekday, I was walking through campus when I overheard a couple of artists talking about some vlog entries Autumn had made.

"Hey, did you see poor Autumn's new vlogs?", an artist girl named Anne asked.

"Yea ... I feel so bad for her. She didn`t deserve what happened, she has a good heart. Did you see her new paintings? So sad and depressing ...", another artist girl responded.

"I almost started crying watching the vlogs. And we didn`t exactly do much to help her ...", Anne replied, saddened. "But what can we do, everybody at school will only start bullying us as well", she added.

"Yea, I guess she can fend for herself. Come on guys, we got work to do", an artist guy stated from the background.

The conversation sprung my interest, and I had to see Autumn`s video diary for myself. I went home right after classes, despite Mia and Payton`s desperate pleadings: "Mike, come and have a drink with us".

Back home, I spent the good part of an hour searching the vlog, but I eventually found it in an artists subforum. I opened it, and I saw Autumn sitting in front of her laptop, talking into her webcam ...


	2. Autumn's vlog 1

"Hello, photography and art fans. This is ArtOfStone for you. So ... things are still horrible at my new school after what happened in December.

Nobody is talking to me and most people are very mean to me ... everybody hates me. I spent many sleepless nights thinking about why I am so hated ... and I still do. I still think about my mom and my necklace ... my mom`s necklace ... which Mia destroyed ... just saying this hurts me so bad. I haven`t had a good night sleep in months, even though sleep is all I want to do. Most days I feel as I don't want to ever wake up :(

I am still so ashamed about what happened with me ... sniff ... I feel like the worst loser ever and it`s hard for me to even walk or breathe when I`m at school. I just keep my head down and try not to get in trouble ... but yesterday I had this idea to bake some cookies and bring them to school for the students ... as a kind of peace offering I guess. I spent the entire day baking the cookies and making sure they`re perfect ... I even carved some heart shapes on the top, like me and my mom used to...

I was excited and hopeful about bringing my cookies to school today ... because everybody loves cookies, right? Wrong ... the cheerleaders told me that I am an idiot and that I should stop acting like a 10 year old. 'Bring us some real food or some beers, not freakin` cookies', they said, laughing at me and throwing my cookies on the floor.

I guess ... sniff ... it is what it is ...

S-sorry guys ... I had some other things I wanted to talk about ... b-but ... sniff ... I don`t think I can do it today. I ... I`ll see you all tomorrow, ok?"

Autumn`s eyes started to water, and eventually were filled with tears before she shut down the camera and ended her vlog for the day. I was definitely going to watch her next entries.


	3. Autumn's vlog 2

"Hey guys, today was a better day at school because of Nishan and Sakura, who are both so sweet.

They offered to help me with a digital artwork I have been working on, and it should be ready by next Sunday. I am very excited to show it to you in the next vlog, and I also have some photographs which I will post.

But that being said ... things are still bad, and I don`t have anyone else to talk to. My artist classmates treat me Ok, but they don`t really talk to me anymore ...

Wes is still AWOL. I am really worried about him, he missed his exams, he is in trouble at school. I don't understand why he is not returning my calls. I wish he was here, I thought he cared about me ...

But it`s my fault, I should have never broken ties with him just because Mike told me to ... Wes would have never done what Mike did to me. Wes was a true friend ... I think ... or that`s what I thought ...

Julian ... well, I haven`t talked to him since what happened. He has a new girlfriend now, a cute and shy girl, Kallie. Figures ... I wish he could have seen that in me ... I felt so happy with him and I loved him so much ... I still do. I thought we will go on so many dates and love eachother for life. My heart sinks when I see them together ... :(

Needless to say, I am still alone, with no prospects of anybody looking at me ... unless it is to throw a mean remark ... or literally throw a tomato, like Mia`s friend Kara (the cheerleader who was always tormenting me at Hearst) did yesterday. Ruined my shirt for which I had saved the whole year to buy. :(

So, all that being said, I have some big news. I thought long and hard about this, and today I finally decided that I will change schools. I spoke with Professor Edwin about it ... but she said I can`t move yet because I already did it once this year, so I have to wait until Summer. It will be hard to wait ... but it is very important for me.

I really think I want to go back at Twin Branches. Leaving was a mistake. Awful things happened to me there, but not as awful as at Hearst and at my new school. There were some people who cared about me at Twin Branches, probably the only friends I ever had. Thinking about it makes me smile.

I also told Professor Edwin that I am resigning from doing 'The Voice', because nobody treats my polls with respect anymore. Some said I was asking 'kindergarten' questions and that I should stop being such a nerd. Ms Edwin tried to convince me to change my mind, but I can proudly say that I stood my ground.

Anyway, thank you so much for listening, guys. See you on Sunday. ArtOfStone out."


	4. Autumn's vlog 3

"Hey guys ... it`s Sunday, so here are the new photographs I have taken, as promised. I went hiking and captured some beautiful scenery, so I hope you like them. My dad promised he`ll go with me but I guess he had work and I ended up going alone.

As for me ... I didn`t think it could get worse, but in this weekend it did.

Yesterday I craved for something sweet so of course I went to For Goodness Cake ... I was very excited, but as I was about to go in, I saw Julian with his new girlfriend Kallie inside at one of the tables ... actually, the very table where we had our first kiss. I remembered how we were holding eachother tight right at that table, and how I told him I love him ... and he said he loved me too. We said we were never going to let go of eachother ... that we were too important to eachother. I was so happy that day ... :(

I felt like my heart was getting ripped out of me. He didn`t even know about For Goodness Cake before we met ... long story short, I left.

Today I went again hoping to get my favorite black & white cookie, and I was happy that none of my mean schoolmates were there. I ordered my cookie, but when I got it and turned around ... Mia and Kara were just walking in.

Needless to say that in 10 seconds I had my cookie spread all over my face ... my 'quirkface', as Kara said ...

I tried to fight back, but Mia came from behind and gave me a ... wedgie ... in front of the whole bakery! It was so embarrassing and painful ...

When I got free I tried to run, but I bumped into Nishan outside, who had with him the CD with my digital artwork I told you about in the last vlog. He was happy we bumped into eachother and wanted to give me the CD, but I wasn`t in the mood for talking. But before I got the chance to leave, Mia and Kara caught up with us ... and started throwing mean remarks at Nish, saying he`s such a loser and an ugly nerd who doesn`t know anything else other than studying.

Nishan ended up getting a wedgie himself, which I think was very traumatic for him ... getting a wedgie from two girls in front of tens of people. He started weeping and ran off. My heart ached for Nish and I was screaming inside, but I was powerless. They also broke my CD, and it was the only copy, so that is why I can`t show it to you. We worked so hard on that artwork ... but it`s gone.

It seems that wherever I go, I can`t escape my reality from school. Now I ... sniff ... I can`t even go to For Goodness Cake anymore :(

The only thing that keeps me going is moving to Twin Branches next Summer. I`m meeting with Professor Edwin tomorrow ... and I ... I hope to get my provisional transfer papers. I can`t wait!"

Tears rushed to Autumn`s eyes as she shut down her camera, and I was curious to see how Monday will unfold at school.


	5. Oh, poor Autumn

As I was going through campus on Monday, I was thinking about Autumn possibly leaving our school. To be honest, I didn`t want her to leave. While I sadistically enjoyed seeing her tormented, in a weird way I still loved her. I got chills every time I saw her walking like a ghost through the halls with her innocent face and her big, sad eyes.

I wanted her around. Maybe subconsciously I thought one day I will save her from the nightmare I myself bestowed upon her, and that we will be together again. But I was definitely not ready to let her know I still cared about her.

Just then, professor Edwin suddenly approached me.

"Mike, have you seen Autumn Brooks?"

"No, why?", I replied.

"I don`t know if she told you, but Ms. Brooks wanted to transfer back at Twin Branches next Summer. You know, her first school?", Miss Edwin asked me, apparently thinking I was Autumn`s best friend or something.

"Yea, I didn`t know", I casually responded, trying to hide the fact that I had followed Autumn`s vlogs religiously, and knew exactly what she was up to.

"The board did not approve of her changing schools three times in two years. Autumn was in my office 10 minutes ago and I had to tell her she will stay here until graduation. She ran away, crying", Miss Edwin added, worried.

"Well, I haven`t seen her", I said, devilishly satisfied.

Just then, my phone rang, and it was Autumn. "What the hell is she`s calling me for", I wondered, and put the phone back in my pocket.

I went to the gym for basketball practice and met Julian and the jocks, Mia and the cheerleaders (who were laughing out loud looking at some pictures Mia was showing on her tablet) and a few other schoolmates in front of the door.

I took a glimpse at the tablet Mia was holding, and I saw pictures of Nishan crying. Having watched Autumn's vlog, I suspected what it was all about, but I couldn`t help but wonder what kind of a man Nishan was, to be crying like a little girl in front of Mia. Then again, we all knew Nishan wasn`t much of a man.

We were waiting for coach to come in with the keys, and when he finally arrived to unlock the door, we burst into laughing as we realized it was already open. But as we went in, horror struck.

 _The image was heartbreaking ..._

Autumn was hanging from the ceiling, a thick rope around her neck, swinging back and forth like a pendulum.

She had taken her own life.


	6. Aftermath

For a few seconds, I just stood there in shock, watching Autumn`s lifeless body swing from the rope, slower and slower. As I began to dust myself off, I saw Julian screaming and crying beneath her feet, clutching at her phone and at a piece of paper.

"I`m sorry, Autumn, I didn`t know ...", Julian cried. I wondered what that was all about.

"Please! Help me get her down! What are you doing, we can save her! Please, I need help, AUTUMN IS DYING ..!", he raged like a bull, but nobody bothered to lend him a hand. We knew she was gone.

"Hey, Julian, don`t her sneakers stink? She`s been wearing them every day for the last two years", a prep girl chuckled, and there were a few scattered laughs across the gym.

"Who said that?" Julian turned his cried out eyes in rage from beneath her feet, but he didn`t have enough strength to say or do more.

I was shocked to realize that most students simply did not care about Autumn`s death, even if the picture was live before their eyes. Very few cried, most of them were indifferent, while some were joking and laughing. I scanned for Mia with my eyes to see if she was feeling as guilty as I did, but there was no sign of her.

Eventually, I slowly walked forward, taking the phone and the note from Julian`s hand.

Looking at the phone, there were some calls Autumn had made to her dad, to Wes, to Payton and to me - none of them answered. She had also made a call to Julian, which was declined - "so that`s what he meant", I thought. I actually saw him decline a call when he was with Kallie down the halls minutes before. Then I took the piece of paper from Julian's hands.

There was some writing, more like doodles, which were completely smeared - presumably from her tears as she was writing. I wasn`t sure, but I think I saw the words "nobody cares about me" among the writings. But the last few words were definitely crystal clear.

"... I will go be with my mom now".


	7. Remembering Autumn

Later that night, after all the commotion ended, me, Mia and a few schoolmates started a barbeque on campus. We invited Max and Kara, with which we became friends over the last few months, to have a few drinks and talk.

"Mia, don`t you feel a bit guilty about what happened?", I asked. "I mean, we kind of killed her. And she`s still lying dead 200 feet from us in the gym, since her dad didn`t care to pick up her body".

"We didn`t kill her, Mike, she killed herself", Mia frowned. "Look, it`s unfortunate and sad and all, but why should I feel guilty? It`s not my fault she was so stupid and sensitive. And nobody will miss her anyway. Maybe Julian, Nishan and Payton, but they`ll get over it. I mean her own dad doesn`t seem to give a toss, why should we?".

Kara nodded in agreement. "Mike, Mia, forget that weirdo. Let`s have some fun".

I have to say I agreed with them, it wasn`t our fault that Autumn was so damn sensitive. Whatever feelings I had for her were definitely gone, as I felt her decision to hang herself was weak and pathetic. My guilt was quickly being washed away, especially as the drinks kept pouring.

"If Autumn was here, we`d be drinking milk and eating cookies", my drunk jock friend Dan suddenly yelled, prompting general laughter.

"And we wouldn`t even have a fire, cause she`d say it`s not safe outside after school. Or that fire hurts the grass. We`d be at hers or Payton`s place watching cartoons until 9 PM. Real fun!", Mia frowned.

"On a good night maybe we`d stay until 10 PM, drink some Coke and play truth or dare. You know, Autumn`s definition of hardcore partying", I added, while lighting a cigarette.

Looking Kara's way I saw a hot devilish smile resting on her face, and I knew where this was going. Poor Autumn was going to be the joke of the school for one more night, even after she took her own life.


	8. Remembering Autumn 2

Kara was smiling, and began to speak. "Hey, Mia, remember when you and Autumn were at Hearst, how she was always running around trying to hide every time she saw us walking down the halls? Poor loser was terrified. That always cracked me up" said Kara, as she and Mia both burst into laughter.

"Hahaa, you could literally see her shivering. Remember when we tied her to that tree, smeared cat shit on her face, and tore her books in front of her? She was begging and crying like we just cut her hand off or something. What a dork" Mia giggled, to the amusement of everybody at the barbeque.

"And then we took her sneakers and threw them in the passing garbage truck. She ran barefoot like a headless chicken and we thought she`d go home, but of course the stupid nerd went right to class. Did she ever miss class?", Kara chuckled.

Kara was grinning ear to ear, and didn`t waste any time to continue the story: "She told the teacher she didn`t have money for shoes or books, because she was too scared to rat us out. She stunk so bad from the cat shit, that the teacher had to send her home. She started crying and ran away, dragging her muddy bare feet along. My god, how all the school laughed that day."

Kara went on. "I heard her dad threw her out of the house that night, after she embarrassed him at school saying she didn`t have money for shoes. He probably gave her those stinky sneakers you guys told me she`s been wearing every day since then".

"I guess it was the happiest day of her life when she was finally able to leave Hearst High", Kara laughed, and chilled back in her seat.

"Oh, you have no idea. She thought she found a home here at this school. She kept going on and on every single day about how great this school is because it`s accepting everybody. It was so exhausting. But in the end I guess she was wrong.", my jock friend Dan grinned. He proceeded to ask a question. "You think she died a virgin, or did Julian have sex with her?"

Mia was quick to clarify the situation. "Nah, she confided in Payton that she was a virgin, and Payton of course told me. Payton said that Autumn was very excited that she had like 2 or 3 kisses in her life, babbling on about how she`ll marry Julian. She died a virgin, no doubt. Pathetic."

"Yea I thought so. I don`t get what Julian saw in that idiot anyway.", Dan stated.

I was ashamed of Autumn's shame, and couldn`t believe that she was being made fun of and bullied even in death. But nobody seemed to mind, and to be honest I didn`t either. The atmosphere was cool and relaxed, everybody was having fun.

As we were drinking, talking and laughing, Max noticed that the fire was running out, and we didn`t have any firewood left.

"Guess we`ll call it a night", a prep girl sighed.

Mia frowned. "No, come on, the night is still young".

"But we have no means to get more firewood, and it`s absolutely freezing", the same prep girl replied.

I looked at Mia and noticed an evil smile encompassing her face as she was starting to speak.

"Well, I have an idea ..."


	9. Burning the past

"Let`s use Autumn`s body!", Mia shouted.

There was silence around the bonfire.

"Oh come on. It`s not like anybody would care. Her own father didn`t come to pick up her body. It would just rot there in the gym. We`ll say it`s a viking sendoff if you want, and it should last us a few more rounds of drinks", Mia devilishly smiled.

"Sis, you`re sick. I like it", Max grinned.

I was quick to point out that we could get in trouble, but there was not much (if any) security around campus, and in the end I said "screw it", I didn`t want to be the goody two shoes loser who spoils the fun. Too much of that goody goody crap had happened at our school, and it was time for a 180 degree change.

Soon enough, Mia, Kara and the guys were dumping Autumn`s body near the fire.

"So, we`re really doing this?", I asked.

"Actually, scratch that. I`m doing this myself", I took charge.

Without a word and with three simultaneous kicks, Mia, me and Kara rolled Autumn`s lifeless corpse over the burning logs. "Make sure to last for at least an hour or two, loser", we all laughed.

A prep girl took the stage, laughing. "Uuuh, I`m Autumn, nobody cares about me, I will go be with my mom now".

Everybody was laughing out loud, a few jocks literally rolling on the floor laughing.

We proceeded with our drinks and stories for a couple more hours, not even noticing that Autumn's burning body was the one keeping us warm. At one point Max actually urinated on her. Eventually, the fire began to die out.

As we left, the last remaining parts of Autumn were quickly being burnt away. Max took the bones and threw them in the sewage. Now, it was as if she never existed.

-The End-


End file.
